Contemporary aircraft engines may include a thrust reverse actuation system to assist in reducing the aircraft speed during landing. Typical thrust reversers include a movable transcowl that when in the active position reverses at least a portion of the airflow passing through the engine. To facilitate maintenance of areas of the engine, the moveable transcowl includes two moveable elements in a “clamshell” or “gull wing” arrangement that opens at the underside to give maintenance personnel access to the engine.
Conventional cascade type thrust reverser actuation systems have either four or six actuators per engine nacelle. The actuators are distributed so that each of the two moveable elements per nacelle has either two or three actuators, thus resulting in a symmetric arrangement of the actuators between the two translating cowls per nacelle. This arrangement allows for a relatively even distribution of the transcowl loads to the actuators.